If You Could Go Back In Time..... Options

[Bear Rose]

If you could go back in time to when you first started playing guitar and give yourself advice on what to learn and which direction to take with the guitar, what would it be?

I would go back in time and tell myself to learn the major scale all over the fretboard, and also to learn how the intervals in the major scale relate to the chords in major key tonality music. Also, I would tell myself to practice learning songs, riffs, melodies, etc by ear as much as possible.

What would you go back and tell yourself?

[Fran]

I'd go back 16 years in time and tell myself not to quit playing! So many years lost in the gap... Oh well

Internet, computers, modelling, affordable multi-effects and all that stuff really makes it much easier to learn these days though.

[MirkoSchmidt]

i would tell myself:

Stop playing guitar and jump from a big builidung! your life will be horrbile in 3 years! ^^

only joking...

but i think i wouldnt give me some advice. i dont like advices. i love to play every day something different. some day i love to play blues stuff, next day jazz and a week later im depressed and im only practicing death metal stuff.
thats the way it works for me.
im not a good guitar player, im sure i could be better with more useful practice, but thats the way it is much fun to play every day!!!

[Captain Insaino]

I would tell my self, to get a good instructor and practice every day. Teaching your self is the hard way to go about it.. Then when I get out of high school I would tell my self to apply to MTI in L.A. and get my Degree in Music.... Life would be so much different...

[NoSkill]

I would have started with a better grounding in triads, major scales, arpeggios, and pentatonics right from the get go. I would spent time drilling technique and learning songs. I would have told myself to not quit playing and I would have adopted my guitar mantra sooner. "You don't have to be good at guitar, to still have fun playing it." I would have listened to more guitar players and tried to emulate them. I wouldn't have made it so hard.

[Bear Rose]

I would tell my self, to get a good instructor and practice every day. Teaching your self is the hard way to go about it.. Then when I get out of high school I would tell my self to apply to MTI in L.A. and get my Degree in Music.... Life would be so much different...

I think I would do something similar to this also. I would have told myself to major in music/guitar in college. I had no clue what I wanted to major in, so I just picked something that I didn't dislike. I really wish I had majored in music/guitar instead now.

[Azzaboi]

Get a webcam and try look so cute on youtube singing 'Baby, baby, baby, ohhh, baby, baby, baby, something, laa dee da dar dar'! That's how you make your millions.

As for the guitar talent, nothing to change. However, also learn the drums.

I think the guitar is forever learning... your'll never stop developing even if you had 5 life times.

This post has been edited by Azzaboi: Sep 29 2010, 06:42 PM

[Lian Gerbino]

I would tell myself:

don't be worry about the future, here is everything going well, so keep doing what you love and things will work out soon

[JamesT]

I do wish a great educational site like GMC existed back when I started out. Looking back, I should have worked with a teacher for longer periods of time. Hopefully that teacher would have been both a good player and a good teacher. A good player would have inspired me to realize what's possible on guitar and a good teacher would guide me to develop good practice habits, establish reachable ambitious goals, and keep me on track in my progress. GMC, and the instructors here have been able to fill that role for me for the last couple of years.

The music theory and ear training classes I took in college turned out to be extremely valuable. I wish I had studied theory much sooner though. Most of my playing and learning was by ear in the beginning. It's hard to figure out a tune without at least a tiny bit of background in harmony. (like knowing what a major and minor chord is, and why).

[Sollesnes]

I would tell myself to learn more songs by ear

[Bogdan Radovic]

I would recommend two things :

- for very start : guitar tuner
- for later practice : comfortable instrument

If I had a more comfortable instrument I would be much more motivated at the beginning...

[Bear Rose]

I would recommend two things :

- for very start : guitar tuner
- for later practice : comfortable instrument

If I had a more comfortable instrument I would be much more motivated at the beginning...

This is so true! So many of my absolute beginner students that I give private lessons to have very cheap guitars and it is very hard for them to learn on. I've come to realize that a first guitar should never be a cheap guitar!

[thefireball]

I'd say, "Join GMC now!"

[Zsolt Galambos]

+1

I'd say, "Join GMC now!"

I'd advise myself only one thing: PRACTICE WITH A METRONOME!!!!!

[Todd Simpson]

I'd tell myself, "Don't work so much that you can't play guitar every day! It makes life just lame" Sometimes I get distracted with working/making money/paying bills and then I have to step back and pick up the guitar and just play. I've never regretted a moment spent playing, ever. Can't say the same about working/paying bills/etc. You have to do what you have to do, but always carve time out for yourself and your guitar.

Todd

[Bogdan Radovic]

This is so true! So many of my absolute beginner students that I give private lessons to have very cheap guitars and it is very hard for them to learn on. I've come to realize that a first guitar should never be a cheap guitar!

Its ok not to have a high end guitar but it has to be playable. Everyone says that beginner should not spend much on a first instrument and I agree with that. But guitar has to be setup well and comfortable (it doesn't have to sound great though). Only later on when I had to chance to play better instrument I realized what I was missing and that problems I thought I had were not actually problems.

[Bear Rose]

Its ok not to have a high end guitar but it has to be playable. Everyone says that beginner should not spend much on a first instrument and I agree with that. But guitar has to be setup well and comfortable (it doesn't have to sound great though). Only later on when I had to chance to play better instrument I realized what I was missing and that problems I thought I had were not actually problems.

I agree with you on this, Bogdan. I guess I should have said "poor quality" instead of "cheap". A low quality guitar, or even a good guitar that is not set up properly makes playing and learning, much harder!

[Lian Gerbino]

I'd say, "Join GMC now!"

[Christophe]

I'd tell to myself :

Don't buy that cheap guitar you won't use it ! Practice 2 hours a day with a comfortable guitar (ESP LTD for instance !) and join GMC ASAP !

[superize]

I would say. Save money and buy a good guitar instead of many not so good